Steam-trap.



PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905.

P. BASON. STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

PA'DENTED OCT. 17, 1905.

F. BASON.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 7, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

hu /n70? a (aw/m PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK BASON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEAM-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed J1me 1905. Serial No. 264. 75-

To ILZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK BASON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to steam-traps, and more particularly tosteam-traps used in connection with the heating apparatus ofrailroad-cars and adapted for permitting the automatic escape of thewater of condensation.

Prominent objects of my invention are to permit the escape of the waterof condensation and at the same time prevent the escape and waste ofsteam, to avoid frequent or continuous leakage of steam, to avoid thecommon occurrence of cutting off steam from the coil or pipes while acar is on the road. to avoid cutting the valve and by what is termedwiredrawing of the steam and water between the seat and valve, toprevent wiredrawing of the water between valve and its seat during use,to provide for an easy quiet discharge of the water of condensation, tocheck the action termed water-hammer, to permit the device to dischargethe water as near to the road-bed as may be desired, to use one and thesame pipe for conducting water and steam from the blow-off valve, and toprovide a highly-etficient and durable device involving matters ofimproved detail, combination, and arrangement.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a section on a verticalcentral plane through a steam-trap embodying the principles of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a detail showing in vertical central section thevalve and a portion of its stem on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is acrosssection on line 3 3 in Fig. 2, the device being understood to beshown on the scale of said Fig. 2. Fig. a is a section on line 4 4 inFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 shows thesteam-trap partly in side elevation and partly in vertical centralsection. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7 7 in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectionthrough the device on line 8 8 in Fig. 6.

A indicates a casing or coupling having its interior space or chamberconnected at one side with pipe B, which is understood to be a portionof a steanrcoil or other desired pipe system for steam heating. Thecasing A is provided at the top with a plug 1, which is screwed into theupper end of the casing and which forms the bearing for a rotaryadjustable stem or plunger 2, having a hand-wheel 3, and provided with athreaded portion 1, which is fitted to work in a correspondinglythreadedportion 5 of the bearing formed by the cap or plug 1. The rotary stem 2extends downwardly within chamber 6 of the casing, whereby the stem 2can, when so desired, be screwed downwardly to an extent to cause it toengage and depress and thereby positively open a valve 0.

The valve C is arranged below and in cooperative relationship with thevalve-seat D, which latter is an annular valve-seat, preferably integralwith the casing A and arranged as a portion of an annular flange 7,which is at the bottom of chamber 6 and somewhat above the lower endportion 8 of the casing A. As the cap-plug 1 is separable from thecasing A and made separate therefrom, the said casing can be madeintegral with the flange D, having its inner marginal portion turneddown to form the annular valve-seat D. The valve 0 is secured upon theupper end of a metal rod E, which is capable of longitudinal expansionand longitudinal contraction according to the degree of heat or cold towhich it is subjected. The valve may be secured to the stem E in anysuitable way. As herein shown, a cap 9 is screwed upon the upperthreaded end portion 10 of the stem E, and the valve is recessed toreceive the cap 9 and also internally threaded, as at 11, to engage anut 12, which is titted between cap 9 and the hollow body of the valve11, the cap 9 having a flange 13, against which the upper end of nut 12abuts, and the said nut has a flange 14:, which abuts against the lowerend of the hollow body of the valve, as best illustrated in Fig. 2.\Vith this arrangement the valve is screwed to the nut 12, while thelatter in place of being screwed to cap 13 has its surfaces whichcontact with said cap smooth and unthreadcd, whereby the valve can turnupon the stem or yield with a slight turning movement, and thereby avoidundesirable relative torsional strain. \Vhen the valve is seated againstvalve seat I), the chamber 6 is closed at its bottom, and thereforeclosed as against escape of either steam or water, the topseating-surface of the valve in such case being close against thevalve-seat. IVhen, however, the valve is lowered, as in Fig. 1, apassage-way for the escape of water of condensation will be formedbetween the valve and the seat D, and in order to allow the water ofcondensation to pass by the valve the body of the latter is made of lessdiameter than the conduit or passage in which the valve is arranged foroperation, and the valve is provided with lateral wings 15, whichcontact with the walls of said conduit or passage 16, thereby steadyingthe valve and at the same time providing ample space for the downwardflow of water.

The casing F is adapted to form the conduit-passage 16 and is screwedfat its upper end into the casing or coupling A, whereby it can beremoved therefrom when so desired.- The valve-stem E extends from thevalve downward and centrally within the passage 16 and is upheld by aspring G, it being observed that the valve-stem is capable oflongitudinal bodily movement in addition to its capacity forlongitudinal expansion and contraction. The upper end of the spring Grin Fig. 1 abuts against a shoulder or stop 17 on the valve-stem, whilethe lower end of said spring in said figure rests upon the upper end ofa hollow plug or cap-nut 18. This cap-nut 18 is screwed into the lower.portion of acarrier H, which is formed with an annularinternally-threaded upper portion 19, screwed onto the lower end of thecasing F, and a lower spider portion comprising wings 20, uniting attheir lower inturned end portions with a base portion 21, into which thecap-nut 18 is screwed. The central bore through the cap-nut 18 is.smooth, whereby the lower portion of the stem may slide longitudinallytherein, although such portion of the stem may be threaded, asillustrated in Fig. 1. A nut I is arranged for adjustment upon the lowerthreaded end portion 22 of the valve-stem, said nut in Fig. 1 beingscrewed up against the headed lower end 23 of the cap-nut 18. The nut Iis an adjustable stop, which when in abutment against the stop orshoulder formed by the cap-nut 23 prevents further longitudinally-upwardmovement on the part of the valve-stem, but does not prevent thevalve-stem from being bodily depressed against the yielding resistanceof the spring G. The tension of the spring can therefore be governed bythe adjustment of the nut 23 on the carrier or lower portion of thecasing, and it can also be varied by the adjustment of the nut I on thevalve-stem.

In Fig. 6 the stem is threaded to a greater extent than in Fig. 1, andin place of the fixed stop 17 (shown in Fig. 1) I have fitted upon theupper part of such threaded portion of the stem an adjustable nut 24 anda lock-nut 25. whereby the stop or abutment for the upper end of thespring can be adjusted in point of position along the valvestem. In Fig.6 the carrier H is screwed to the casing F and generally correspondswith the carrier H. (Shown in Fig. 1.) In Fig. 6 the carrier H has wings25*, corresponding with the wings 20 of Fig. 1 and united at their lowerinturned ends to an annular portion 26, corresponding with the annularportion 21 of Fig. l, but having asmooth bore, so that the threadedportion of the valvestem can slide through it. Also in Fig. 6 theadjustable nut 27 abuts against the annular portion 26, and a lock-nut28 abuts against the adjusting-nut 27, said two nuts being arranged uponthe lower threaded portion of the valve-stem. The principles ofadjustment shown in Figs. 1 and 6 are substantiall y the same, theconstruction, arrangement, and details being, however, slightlydifferent.

From the foregoingit will be seen that while the valve-stem providedwith. a valve at its upper end is urged upwardly and supported by thespring the limit of its upward movement induced by the spring is definedand restricted by an adjustable stop device. When, however, thevalve-stem is subject to sufficient steam heat, it will expandlongitudinally, and thereby tend to further raise the valve, and when itis allowed to cool it will tend to contract, thereby opening a passagebetween the valve and its seat. The water of condensation from a heateror heating system with which my trap may be connected passes directlybetween the valve-face and its seat and is conducted down thetrap-casing F, between the inner wall of said casing and the eXpansiblevalve-stem, imparting its heat to said stem on the outer surface of thelatter, thereby insuring a larger and more constant flow of water thancan be obtained by a steam-trap in which the water of condensationpasses through an eXpansible tube operating as a valve at its lower end.

In the construction herein illustrated the water and steam is retainedin the heater when they are of the same degree of temperature; but allwater below such temperature is discharged automatically. W'hen myimproved steam-trap is connected with the heater by a pipe adapted toconduct water of condensation to the trap and the valve is sufiicientlyopened to permit steam to pass the valve and flow out through the spacesbetween the wings of the valve-carrier, the lock-nut having beenloosened from the valve-adjusting nut, an attendant or operator may alsoadjust the valveadjusting nut so as to allow the tension of the springto force the valve toward its seat until steam ceases to flow throughthe openings in the carrier or lower casing portion H or H. Theadjusting-nut may then at this point be locked by the nuts. As soon asthe water of condensation gets below the temperature of the steam (whichoccurs almost immediately) the expansible stem, which had been expandedby the previously-passing steam, will contract and the water ofcondensation will escape through the space between the valve and itsseat, it being understood that this con- IIS traction of the stem servesto open the valve and that the lower the temperature of the water thegreater will be the opening for its escape and the larger the volume ofwater discharged. \Vhen the outfiowing water is nearly at thetemperature of the steam, the stem will expand and partially close thevalve or so reduce the space between the valve and seat that the escapeof water will be decreased.

Should the pressure of steam in the heater be lowered, a larger quantityof water of condensation will of course collect in the heater, and whenthe pressure of the steam is increased to meet this change the velocityof the escaping water of condensation will be greatly increased, causingan increase of pressure at the valve-opening and overcoming thedifference of a pound, or thereabouts, of pressure between thesteam-pressure and the heater and the tension of the sustaining spring,thereby forcing the valve farther from the seat against the yieldingresistance of the spring without noise or what is termed water-hammer.'hen the discharging water of condensation is very near the'temperatureof the steam in the heater, the space or passage between the valveseatand its face is comparatively small and the spring-yielding nature ofthe valve which is supported by a spring will prevent What is termedwire drawing, the water passing through such space or passagenoiselessly and without wearing the valvet'ace or valve-seat.

Should it become necessary to clean the valveseat or valve or to blowthe water and steam out of the heater, as when a car is cut oti' thetrain, the stem 2 can be screwed down until it depresses and opens thevalve. hen desired, the several parts of my improved steam-trap can bereadily taken apart.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the valve C is a valve forcontrolling the discharge of water of condensation and that when saidvalve is closed upwardly against the seat I) it serves to close thedischarge-port of a pipe section or chamber having said port formedthrough its bottom; also, that the conduit 16 is at the delivery side ofthe valve (J, so as to receive the water and steam which may have passedby the said valve; also, that the valve-stem is arranged within theconduit and is therein subject to steam and water, and that the valve issecured upon said stem, and that the latter is movable downwardlyagainst the spring resistance of a spring G, which upholds the stem andvalve thereon.

hat I claim as my invention is 1. In a steam-trap, a valve forcontrolling the.discharge of water of condensation; an expansible stemcarrying the valve; a spring forming an elastic cushion by which thevalvestem is upheld; and means for adjusting the tension of the spring,the stem being eontracted longitudinally to open the valve, and beinglongitudinally expanded to close the valve.

2. In a steam-trap, a casing; a valve-stem adapted and arranged forlongitudinal expansion and con traction and provided with avalve at itsupper end; a spring arranged to uphold the valve; and an adjustable stopdevice for limiting the bodily upward movement of the valve-stem, thevalve-stein being subject to steam and water of condensation from aheater when the casing is connected to receive the water ofcondensation.

3. In a steam-trapfthe valve-stem adapted and arranged for longitudinalexpansion and contraction and provided with a valve at its upper end andupheld by a spring; and an adj ustablc expansible stem 2 for positivelyopening the valve.

at. In a steam-trap, a valve for controlling the discharge of water ofcondensation; an expansible stem provided with a valve at its upper end;a seat against which the valve seats upwardly; a spring-cushionupholding the valve; a casing through which the valvestem extends, andan adjustable stopdevice comprising a nut and stop or shoulder forlimiting the upward thrust of the valve-stem and adjusting the tensionof the spring.

5. In a steam-trap, a valve for controlling the discharge of water ofcondensation; a conduit at the delivery side of said valve; astemarranged within said conduit and having said valve secured upon it, thestem being adapted and arranged to expand longitudinally and close thevalve upwardly when subject to heat within the conduit, and to contractlongitudinally and open the valve downwardly when suitably cooled; and aspring supporting the stem which is bodily movable against such springresistance.

FREDERICK BASON. \Vitn esses:

CHARLas (1; PAGE, OTTILIE C. FREIBERG.

